May 3, 2005

A new "camera-in-a-pill" can help doctors diagnose and evaluate diseases of the esophagus including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), erosive esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus (a pre-cancerous condition) without the use of a traditional endoscope.

"The camera is about the size of a large vitamin pill, and is a non-invasive diagnostic alternative to traditional endoscopy, the most common procedure used to examine the esophagus," says gastroenterologist Gregory Haber, MD, Director of Gastroenterology at Lenox Hill Hospital.

"In traditional endoscopy, a long, flexible tube (endoscope) is put into the mouth and advanced down the throat into the esophagus. It requires sedation and recovery time. With the camera pill, we now have a revolutionary technology that offers a quick, easy, office-based test that may help many people avoid traditional endoscopy. It may also encourage more people to see their doctor to get checked for diseases that if caught early can be treated effectively," he said.

Dr. Haber says patients fast for two hours before swallowing the camera. The smooth plastic capsule is easily swallowed with a glass of water while the patient lies on his back. The patient is raised by a 30-degree angle every two minutes over a six-minute period until he is sitting upright. The capsule makes its way through the esophagus in about three minutes. As it glides down the esophageal tract, it takes about 2,600 color digital pictures (14 per second), which are transmitted, to a recording device worn as a belt around the patient's waist. After 20 minutes, the physician has sufficient video images to make an evaluation. The capsule is passed naturally and painlessly from the body within 24 to 72 hours.

Studies show that the camera pill is comparable in accuracy to traditional endoscopy. Also, unlike traditional endoscopy, the procedure requires no sedation, and patients can resume normal activity immediately.

According to health experts, an estimated 61 million Americans, or 24 percent of the U.S. adult population, have heartburn at least once a month.

GERD is the third most prevalent disease in the US with the highest annual direct costs ($9.3 billion/year). Among GERD sufferers, nineteen million experience symptoms at least twice a week. Five to 15 percent of GERD patients may have Barrett's esophagus, a condition that increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, the fastest growing type of cancer in America.

GERD sufferers are often treated with prescription or over-the-counter antacids. However, treatments that control symptoms do not prevent the development of more serious complications. "Millions of people are chronic antacid users and have never been evaluated for esophageal disease," says Dr. Haber. "We think that the pill camera will make it easier for people at risk to get that evaluation sooner, without discomfort or major inconvenience, and help to extend our care to more people. Many other less frequent pathologies such as esophageal varices in patients with liver disease, can be assessed easily with this capsule as well."

The public may be familiar with the camera pill used for the small bowel/intestine which has been used since 2001 in more than 150,000 patients nationwide.

Members of the press seeking information about Lenox Hill Hospital should call the Public Relations Department at (212) 434-2400.